The present invention generally relates to fabrication methods and resulting structures for semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to embedded bottom metal contacts formed by a self-aligned (SAC) process for vertical field effect transistors (VFETs).
In contemporary semiconductor device fabrication processes a large number of semiconductor devices, such as field effect transistors (FETs), are fabricated on a single wafer. Some non-planar transistor architectures, such as VFETs, employ semiconductor fins and side-gates that can be contacted outside the active region, resulting in increased device density and some increased performance over lateral devices. In VFETs the source to drain current flows in a direction that is perpendicular to a major surface of the substrate. For example, in a known VFET configuration a major substrate surface is horizontal and a vertical fin or nanowire extends upward from the substrate surface. The fin or nanowire forms the channel region of the transistor. A source region and a drain region are situated in electrical contact with the top and bottom ends of the channel region, while the gate is disposed on one or more of the fin or nanowire sidewalls.